Separable hinge



W. DELLITH SEPARABLE HINGE Oct. 30, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1960 IN V EN TOR.

H T N u m L T M T A m H N R E W W. DELLlTH SEPARABLE HINGE Oct. 30, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 9, 1960 FIG. 5

IN V EN TOR.

WERNER DELLITH F ma/ HIS ATTORNEY.

BZXA

United States Patent 3,060,492 SEPARABLE HINGE Werner Dellith, Ringwood, N..I., assignor to Camloc Fastener Corporation Filed Dec. 9, 1960, Ser. No. 74,948 Claims. (Cl. 16-172) This invention relates to readily detachable hinge elements and relates more particularly to a novel separable hinge designed primarily for a pair of doors in an aircraft which open outwardly and which most oc casionally be completely removed from the craft during the removal of engines and other internal parts.

The hinge structure of the present invention finds an important use on aircraft of very high speed for mounting engine access doors which are usually formed in pairs and doors in the wings and in the fuselage whose contours usually have compound curvatures and which bear structural loads.

An important object of the invention is to provide an elongated hinge structure for doors of this character which assures against breakage or malfunction and which will prevent the hinge from accidentally becoming detached when the doors are held in open positon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge for outwardly opening aircraft doors which are so formed as to positively prevent the doors from blowing out while permitting the doors to move slightly inwardly against the pressurized interior of the craft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a readily separable hinge for doors and the like wherein the hinge elements are firmly locked together when the doors are closed and the parts are secured aganst radial or axial movement but wherein opening of the doors permits ready separation of the hinge parts and consequent complete removal of the door from the supporting structure. This arrangement is achieved by a system of interfitting knuckles, one set with a hinge pin and the other With a series of open channels to receive the pin when the hinge strip having the channel is moved in one direction only the latter strip having a second set of open channels to receive a rib in the first strip.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a broken perspective view of a hinge element embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a broken exploded view of the hinge plates.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation showing the door supported by the hinge in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a similar view but showing the door in open position.

FIG. 5 shows the door in partially opened position and showing the means which may be used for preventing unhooking of the hinge.

FIG. 6 shows the hinge element partly disengaged from the hinge pin.

FIG. 7 shows the angle at which the door may be removed from the structure.

FIG. 8 shows the final stage of disengagement just prior to the second hinge plate being slid free of the first hinge late.

p The hinge structure of the present invention includes a hinge plate 10 which is carried by the structure and a second hinge plate 11 secured to the door which is shown at 12. Because of their multiple contours, both plates are preferably formed by extrusion methods.

Plate 10 has a smooth generally convex outer contour 14 and a recess 16 along its inner edge which receives the outer skin 18 in flush relation. The structure is shown in broken lines in fragmentary fashion and includes an inner skin *19 and an angular plate 20 to which is secured a second angular plate 21 carrying a spring element 22 which is contacted by the door (FIG. 3) when the latter is closed and plate 21 is contacted by the door hinge (FIG. 4) when the door is open.

The first plate '10 further has a plurality of spaced knuckle sections 24 which are enlarged at their outer ends 26 where aligned hinge pins openings 28 are formed. The openings receive a continuous hinge pin 29. Finally, the plate 10 is formed with an internal rib 30 adjacent the inner ends of generally rectangular openings 31 forming walls 33 which define the knuckles.

The second plate 111 similarly has a convex outer curvature 32 and a recess 34 to receive the outer skin 36 of the door 12. This plate is also formed with spaced openings 37 forming walls 38 which define the ends of knuckles 39 having a C-shaped contour 40 at their outer ends forming channel 41 whose open side or slot extends outwardly, i.e., in the direction of the outside of the structure or craft and is adapted to receive rib 30 of plate 16. Another C-shaped section 42 at the other end of the knuckle forms a channel or slot comrising a knuckle 43 to receive the continuous hinge pin 29. The latter slot extends in a direction away from channel 41 at an angle of about thereto.

To assemble the hinge it is only necessary to move the knuckles 39 of hinge plate 11 into the openings between the knuckles 24 in hinge plate 10 and move them to a point where the hinge pin engages the channels 43. This is the position of .FIG. 4. When the door is rotated 90 to the position of FIG. 3 the rib 30 enters the channels 41 of knuckles 39 and the parts are locked not only against radial movement in any direction with respect to the hinge pin but also against axial movement due to the interengagement between walls 38 and 33. In this position spring 22 forms a seal and when the door is swung fully open to the position of FIG. 4 the outer end of the knuckle 40 engages plate 21 and this prevents disengagement of the parts.

In order to insure that the hinge cannot unhook from the hinge pin the hinge plate 11 may have a plurality of square stops or blocks 44 secured by studs 45 which are quickly removable to arrange for uncoupling of the hinge.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It

is therefore to be understood that the exemplar-y embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.

What I claim is:

1. A separable hinge for mounting a door on a structure and comprising a pair of elongated hinge plates, one secured to the structure and the other secured to the door, the first plate having a plurality of generally rectangular openings along its outer edge forming spaced knuckles having aligned holes at their outer ends and a continuous hinge pin in said holes, the plate also being formed with an internal rib inside the inner ends of the openings, the second plate also formed with spaced knuckles received between the knuckles in said first plate and each being formed with an inwardly facing generally C-shaped channel at its inner end forming a hook which receives the hinge pin and a channel at its outer end which receives the rib in the first plate, preventing lateral movement between the plates when said rib and recess are engaged.

2. A separable hinge for mounting a door on a structure and comprising a pair of elongated hinge plates, one secured to the structure and the other secured to the door, the first plate having a plurality of generally square notches along its outer edge forming spaced knuckles having aligned holes at their outer ends and a continuous hinge pin in said holes, the plate also being formed with an internal rib inside the inner ends of the notches, the second plate also formed with spaced knuckles received between the knuckles in the first plate and each being formed with an inwardly facing generally C-shaped recess at its inner end which receives the hinge pin and a recess at its outer end which receives the rib in the first plate, preventing lateral movement between the plates when said rib and recess are engaged.

3. A separable hinge for mounting a door on a structure and comprising first and second elongated hinge plates, one plate being secured to the structure and the other being secured to the door, said plates having a plurality of generally rectangular openings along their meeting edges forming spaced knukles, the knuckles in the first plate being positioned within the openings of the second plate, the knuckles in the first plate having aligned holes at their outer ends, and a continuous hinge pin in said holes, the knuckles in the second plate having aligned open channels at their inner ends which detachably receive the hinge pin and interfitting parts between the outer ends of the latter knuckles and the first plate to prevent disengagement of the channels from the hinge pin when the door is in closed position.

4. A separable hinge for mounting a door on a strucknuckles in the first plate having aligned holes at their outer ends and a hinge pin in said holes, said first plate also being formed with an internal rib inside the inner ends of the openings, the knuckles in the second plate being formed with aligned open channels at their inner ends to receive the hinge pin and with aligned open channels at their router ends disposed at an angle of about to the first channels and which receive the rib in the first plate, preventing lateral movement between the plates when said rib is received in the outer end channels.

5. A separable hinge for mounting a door on a structure and comprising first and second hinge plates, the first plate having a plurality of generally rectangular openings along its outer edge forming spaced knuckles having aligned holes at their outer ends and a hinge pin in said holes, the second plate being formed with spaced knuckles received between the knuckles in the first plate and said latter knuckles being formed with aligned generally 0- shaped open channels at their inner ends forming hook elements which receive the hinge pin, the outer ends of said latter knuckles having aligned open channels disposed at an angle of about 90 to the first mentioned channels and a rib formed along the inner ends of the knuckles in the first plate which is received in the second mentioned channels and which prevents movement between the plates when they are engaged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 771,654 Meek Oct. 4, 1904 1,578,408 Diday Mar. 30, 1926 2,618,809 Rubinoff Nov. 25, 1952 2,644,192 McClellan July 7, 1953 

